Safety surfacing coming to high-crash B.C. roads

A new high-friction road coating is being applied to accident-prone sections of roads in southwestern B.C., to make them safer and cut down on B.C.’s rising vehicle accident rate.

The surfacing treatment has been successfully used in the United States, and has been selected for use at 14 intersections and off-ramps identified by ICBC. The coating is expected to shorten stopping distances and reduce rear-end collisions, which spike each fall as wet conditions return.

Bauxite aggregate is applied to the pavement on top of a resin polymer coating that the manufacturer says is resistant to traffic wear and snowplowing. Tests show shorter stopping distances on the surface compared to ordinary pavement, as well as improved traction on hills, curves, ramps and bridge decks.

Work on the sites is beginning this week, using specialized trucks that apply the resin and aggregate in a single operation, the B.C. transportation ministry says. Work is expected to be done by the end of the month at the following locations: